Under Fire: A Pathfinder story
by The Argonaught
Summary: The story of a squad of Pathfinders in the third age of expansion. Not only must they fight their numerous enemies, but they must look out for a human auxiliary trooper. Can the Greater Good and the bond of soldiers unite these two distant and different races? (updated on a consistent basis).
1. Chapter 1

This is a story that has been on my mind for quite some time. A story written from the perspective of the Tau in the Universe of Warhammer 40,000. Specifically about the lives of a squad of Pathfinders, the special forces of the Tau Army. Perhaps several things here you may disagree with. Such as the effectiveness or the ineffectiveness of the people in this story compared to how they are in the Table top game. This story was meant to honor the game and create a side of the Tau race not normally seen.

This is in no way associated with Games Workshop and is merely a fan made story inspired by their works and products. I hope you enjoy the first installment of this story. (expect minor language, action scenes and a small amount of blood.

**Words and phrases useful to understanding Tau culture.**

**The Greater Good**- a broad philosophical concept that covers the overall and long term benefit of the Tau Empire and its members. Brought on only through hard work, sacrifice and dedication.

**Fire Caste**- The militaristic caste branch of the Tau. Acting as the defenders and the main army of the. Pronounced as a "shas" suffix at the front of a name or place

**Water Caste**- The diplomats, traders and councilors of the Tau. Pronounced as a "Por" suffix at the front of a name or place

**Earth Caste**- workers, engineers and artisans, perhaps the most numerous of the Tau. Pronounced as the"Fio" suffix at the front of a name or place.

**Air Caste**- Astronauts, pioneers and aviators of the Tau. Pronounced as the "Kor" suffix at the front of the name

**Ethereal Caste**- The most mysterious of the Tau, the leaders, councilors and guiding light of the Tau race, revered as the saviors of the Tau. Pronounced as an "Aun" suffix at the front of a name or place.

**The Terror**- Reference to the time in history when Tau where divided. When the Castes slaughtered each other in a bloody civil war that almost brought about their exitinction. Halted only by the timely arrival of the mysterious Ethereals at the fortress of Fio'tan. The Tau have been unified ever since but the fear of a schism is always present.

**Gue'Vessa**- literally means "human helper(s)". The Tau word for humans who have either defected to the Tau Empire from the imperium or who were born into it from parents who defected.

**Gue'la**- "Human" used as a racist slur against humans, some Tau prefer using shortening it to "gues" considered highly offensive when spoken to a human who knows the Tau language.

**Auxiliary races**- The Tau have allowed several other races to join the Tau empire, Most numerous among them are the Kroot, The Gue'vessa, the Vespid and the Nicassar. Some soldiers use the slang term "Auxes"

**The way names work in Tau society. **

First syllable is the Caste suffix

Second is the planet they hail from (used only in formal situations)

Third is the rank that Tau holds in the Caste (note that all ranks are the same across the board and a Shays'Ui would be equal with a Flo'Ui. The only exception would be the Ethereals.)

Third suffix and so on is the personal name, depending on the skill and attributes they can earn multiple names. Some more traditional families consider it custom for the son or daughter to carry on the name of a famous ancestor. Such as the famous Commander Brightsword, who is at least the tenth to bear that name. All names have meaning to describe a Tau but for the sake of ease, usually only the first two syllables are spoken.


	2. Chapter 2

Fio'El Bor'kan Kais'Ves left the hover car and promptly dropped his bag. Even though he was one of the most promising engineers on Bor'kan. and some would say destined to rise to the rank of Fio'O he still dropped his papers and tools like a young Fio'SAAL apprentice. The servant at the door looked away. Kais'Ves outranked him by several years and the servant showed him the respect. But Kais'Ves was a humble man, his name meant "Faithful Helper" and while some of the more arrogant Tau would have mocked a name, he was proud of it. After all, were not all Tau good and faithful servants to the Greater Good?

Few alive were as great as servants as the great and favored Shas'O Kree'Tan, Commander Eastwind. And that was who Kais'Ves had the absolute pleasure of meeting today. Kree'Tan was very traditional in his way. Employing servants instead of drones and machines. He even sent a hand written letter via messenger to Kais'Ves requesting his presences.

Once Kais'Ves collected his papers the servant led him through the house. The estate was private and great effort went into making it as relaxing as possible. In the traditional style it was a square building that surrounded an open courtyard. Relics and items that Eastwind collected decorated his home. Every wall showing evidence of His long and glorious career. Holograms of him standing beside important people and friends. Trinkets from battles. Some of them their value and importance lost to Kais'Ves

The silent servant opened a sliding screen door and bowed. "My lord may I present Fio'El Bor'kan Kais'Ves." He then bowed and excused himself.

Kais'Ves would have bowed in return since it seemed the polite thing to do but the great Kree'Tan was not paying attention to him.

The center of the courtyard was a small grass square and there was Kree'Tan, even in his old age he was bound in grace. His braided hair was long and adorned with neatly tied ribbons. His white robes were simple, the only color he allowed was the turquoise sash and trimming on his sleeves. His face was stern and weathered. And he was putting all of his power into focusing on the sword he held in his hands. A katana with a purple ribbon adorning the hilt. It sliced through the air in a rather intense fashion.

Tau usually disdained close combat. It was bloody and cruel, a fasciation of the lesser barbaric races. But many Tau still held value in the ability a blade or a knife held. And given the savagery of the other races. Perphaps it was best, Kais'Ves could not judge. Instead he sat politely and watched the now retired Commander Eastwind put on a show of slices, cuts and flourishes. Unable to deny that it was a beautiful art from.

After several moments the Commander finally spoke. "I have been told that you are a skilled engineer, you created the plasma generators on V'letan am I right?" His voice was like a two pieces of slate sliding together and carried that aloof quality that seemed common in some of Kais's more pretentious teachers at the Earth Caste academy. However Kais felt that Eastwind knew more than most people pretended to know.

"Yes and no, favored Shas'O", Kais'Ves replied. "I was one of five engineers on the team, and we worked with the alien Bragi, they had the vision of the reactors and we made it reality. We could not have done it without them, they have a gift for plasma technology."

Eastwind frowned sourly, Kais was afraid he offended the eccentric Tau somehow. "That is not how I heard it, they made little mention of the Bragi short of crediting them as joining the project for the Greater Good. They listed the earth caste engineers as the ones deserving credit."

Kais'Ves shrugged, "every engineer worth his training knows that you don't make plasma generators without Bragi my lord. We would have been fools not to listen to them and heed their wise words. It was a humbling experience"

Eastwind cleaned the sword with near religious care before sheathing it and delicately placing it in a wooden box and covering it with what looked like a flag. "We pride ourselves on acceptance of the auxillary races but we always make sure to praise ourselves for suffering them, as if they need us." He closed the box and put it aside. "Would you join me for tea?"

Kais'Ves bowed, "Please, favored Shas'O"

A servant came out of nowhere with a tray of tea and cups. There was a small table set up in the corner of the courtyard next to a small pond, koi fish of all colors danced and swam. As Eastwind made his way to the table Kais'Ves saw that the old commander had a slight limp in his left foot.

"And one thing" Eastwind said, sitting down without giving Kais'Ves the honor of sitting first as a honored guest. "Do not call me Favored Shas'O. That is what sycophants or those who wish to be polite call me, in my own home you may call me by my given names. As I would like to call you by yours." He poured the tea, again without waiting. What anyone else would see as an insult, Kais'Ves saw as a Tau who did not wish to engage in petty social acts. He was a Tau of action, use to the simpler life of trying to kill before you were killed.

Kais'Ves actually preferred it this way. Because he was incredibly thirsty.

"As you wish Eastwind." Kais'Ves said sipping his tea without waiting to wish the aged commander good health as was customary. Eastwind laughed. It was a hearty chuckle more fit for a bar room than a gentle tea table. His sour look melted away.

"I see that I have made a good choice in seeking your services Faithful Helper. Eastwind said, sipping his tea at his own pace.

"What services exactly did you have in mind Sir?" Kais'Ves asked. He had assumed that he sought out his architectural skills. It was somewhat common for bored military commanders to sponsor promising artisans simply because they had the money to do so. Which was why Kais'Ves still was polite despite his host removing the need for it.

Eastwind finished his cup and refilled it and made to refill Kais'Ves's "First answer me this question, what does the Greater Good mean to you?"

That was a serious question. The Greater Good was everything the Tau stood for. Laid down by the holy Ethereals ever since they united all the castes together at the fortress of Fio'tan thousands of years ago, ending a great civil war that threatened extinction. It was for the Greather Good we lauched our first rockets into space. Established our first colony. We lived for the greater good and the warriors of the fire Caste even died for it. Kais'Ves could have recited the five tenants of the Greater Good that all Tau learned in their youth but Kais was sure that Eastwind wanted a more personal answer. He spent a moment to collect his thoughts. He did not want to give a wrong answer.

"The Greater Good…is just that, the greatest good of all people. Every person, every caste, every sept and even all the races within the Tau Empire. We are all so different, and that is what makes us strong. But what unifies us is that we are supposed to put aside any selfish goals to think of the person next to us and beyond Regardless of what caste or race they are. No one is greater or lesser in priority. It means I live and I work and even die for the better of someone I may never meet or see."

Now it was Kree'Tan's turn to sit in silence, he finished half his cup of tea before finally replying. "That sounds like something a water caste would but you seem to truly believe it."

Kais'Ves shrugged. " I want my life to have a purpose, I don't know of any greater than the Greater Good"

Eastwind nodded his head, seeming to make up his mind. "I want you to write a memoir for me"

Kais'Ves gave a confused look. Eastwind had already written a thesis on unconventional warfare. Almost all of it was taken from personal experience. "I don't understand sir, would that not be better suited for a Water caste member? Many excellent writers come from there, I am just an engineer"

Eastwind scoffed, "Water caste, they would water down my memoir to make sure to offend no one. They would rather be celebrated for writing the memoir than celebrating those who lived the story." He set his tea aside. "I have read your reports, you have written on alien architecture and seem to have a respect for how aliens think, and most importantly, you make it easy for the reader to identify with the aliens. Even an old Tau like me could understand it"

Kais'ves bowed his head. "Thank you, I had to pick a subject and thought I would at least find something interesting to spend the next ten years writing about." This earned another hearty chuckle from Eastwind.

"I don't want a story about me I want a story about others. Others I had the great pleasure of knowing." Eastwind seemed to be lost in the void of his own mind before bringing himself back to the present. "Can you do this for me?"

Kais'Ves nodded his head, it was unconventional but he guessed that was exactly why the Commander wanted him "I might not have all the details, is this going to be a full memoir or a story?"

Eastwind let a servant take the tray and gave him a much smaller plate that held a long wooden carved pipe and a small pile of dried indigo leaves. Eastwind stuffed the leaf into the bowl of the pipe and lit it. A heady smoke puffed out of his nostrils. "I want the reader to know about several different people, including myself. I want it to be a story about those around me. So that everyone will pick it up but filled with truth for it to be discussed in all circles."

Kais'Ves pulled out some of his tools, ignoring his architectural devices and instead opting for a tablet and a recording device. He came expecting to commission a statue or a building, not write a biography.

Eastwind continued. "It won't all be accurate, there were simply some things I was not told about, or was only hinted at. But I have a burning desire for this story to be told. So I will simply tell you the story as I know, from beginning to end, I want the reader to feel what I felt when I was told what I know, and to feel what my companions felt. Even if they are not all around to tell the tale"

Kais'Ves set up the recording device and saw that it was picking up all their perfectly, He spread out his notes and was ready. "Perhaps at the beginning of every chapter we can include a small piece of dialogue from you. Explaining how the story goes. You are already famous for adding personal feeling and narrative to the story."

Eastwind nodded, slowly slipping into the past. "Then we will begin".


	3. Chapter 3

_"__I was born on the planet Sept of Sa'cea, The Tau there are military driven but cool headed. Not me, I was hot blooded, like the Vi'orla sept. I was quick to anger and stubborn in my youth. I earned the name "Eastwind" because the eastern winds on my sept were cruel, hot and unforgiving. I was not the Tau many see today. Shas'O Kree'Tan. The warden of the west, the great butcher of the Tyranids. The Hero of the Tau, I am not a hero, but I had the honor of serving with heroes. It all started on Alt'reya, a hell hole forsaken swamp world overrun by orks." Commander Eastwind_

_It was at this point that I saw tears in his eyes, Commander Eastwind who shed tears over those he served with. He told me the story of who I would be writing about, and I was moved in the quietest places of my being. I could not have ever have imagined when I woke up that morning that I would be writing one of the greatest stories ever told. I now know why Eastwind was moved to tears, because on the day of his passing in the later years I mourned him. You can call me a farsight sympathizer. You can call me a traitor but If you were there and saw what I saw in his eyes. You would mourn him too. You would mourn the soldiers this book was dedicated to Firedawn, Sunspear, Nau'fumi, Baracuda, Muth'sera, Mar'sel, Nar'Zod, the Kroot shaper known only as Long-Belt. The human named Colonel Silva who served the imperium. And the Gue'vessa named Fallstar. If you happen to be a new reader to this tale. I hope you come in with eyes wide open and a patient mind. This was the first and most difficult work I have ever written, as I wished to honor those who lived the story. I hope you enjoy one of the most controversial texts ever written. I hope you question it and everything you were ever taught._

_Fio'o Borkan Kais'Ves excerpt from the tenth anniversary edition of "Whispers on the Wind: The trials of the Wraiths"_

It was so damn hot on Alt'Reya. The air was thick and the swamps where massive. And to make it worse we were stationed on the equator. In the dense rain forests.

"I would fight an ork with my bare hands if it meant being anywhere north of the equator." I grumbled to himself. While this was his first world to be stationed at since my training on Sac'sea. I was no green recruit. I had spent over a year here. As part of a team of pathfinders attached to the Seventh Revealing Sword Cadre. They along with four other cadres on this world were tasked with neutralizing the Ork presence on this world. The Revealing sword Cadre and the Pathfinders attached to it, was recon and if necessary, search and destroy in the rainforests. Feral tribes deep in the equator had were pushing to reinforce the invading orks and that was where the pathfinders came in. Neutralize the ferals before the invaders gave them guns and they became a very big threat.

"Even your grumpy ass wouldn't survive that Eastwind, besides up north is where the other orks are, you know the ones with guns." Muth'sera replied. Cleaning his pulse carbine, the swamps were a nightmare for gear. Even more so for Pathfinders. We always got the jobs that involved crawling and skulking through mud, snow and whatever other refuse filled the galaxy.

Muth'sera was an easy going person. And depending on my mood it either comforted or irritated me. But we were practically inseparable. "Get shot at in nice temperate climate or stabbed with a spear in a foetid swamp. Which would you pick?" I asked.

Muth'sera started field stripping his pulse carbine. Wiping away all the camouflaged paint to allow our familiar ochre color equipment to fit into the environment. He would have to reapply once he fixed the gun. "Well I can't really say, because unlike you I don't plan on dying on any part of this planet." He said with a smile.

"Shut up" was all that I could say. I never could come up with a word to describe Muth'Sera until I met someone years later who called him a smartass. It has trouble translating but it describes him perfectly.

Shas'ui Mar'Voi the vetran leader of our pathfinder team chose that time to approach us from behind. Silent as ever. "Attention, fire warriors" She growled.

Muth'sera and I both stood at attention and gave the hunters salute.

"What is it Shas'ui?" Eastwind asked.

Mar'voi gave us a grim frown, Muth'sera said that was her normal face. She was the toughest, most cold hearted person I had ever seen. And I had fought orks for a year, She had been fighting orks while I was still in the Youth Academy learning about mathematics, the scars that sliced up and down her face were there to prove it. "I just wanted to inform you Shas' La Eastwind that were I your enemy, you would be dead. And given that Shays'la Muth'sera is disassembling his weapon he would be dead as well."

I tried to hide the burning in my face. I was embarrassed and angry. No one could ever please Mar'Voi. And I was young and impatient. Mar'Voi seemed to know this and made an active effort to anger me. It worked, looking back on it, I still wonder if she found personal enjoyment out of it.

"I apologize Sir" Muth'sera said, bending his head.

"You can't apologize because you are dead, and you can't ask forgiveness from a dead comrade, remember this, both of you are still young and there is a great struggle ahead of you." Mar'Voi replied.

Both of us bowed our heads in shame. The lesson was frustrating but the knowledge was sound. If we failed, so would the others. Like falling dominoes.

Once the lesson seemed drilled into them Mar'Voi loosened up, but only barely. "We are to travel into the heart of the jungle. The greenskins may try a great push past our perimeter to meet with their more heavily armed allies on the plains. We can not waste time boxing them in. Cut off the head of the serpent and the body dies. Our orders are made."

We nodded in understanding. Though the ferals were armed with spears and bows. They had already killed many unwary fire warriors. And if we failed to contain the ferals. The situation could get much worse. For the last four months we have been engaging them in hit and run tactics. Every time we wiped out a tribe, a new would come from no where and butcher our soldiers.

"We will be joined by a guide. A gue'vessa who survived an ambush. Her cadre made it farther in than anyone else. We leave within the hour." And with that Mar'Voi slipped away. Silent as the grave.

Once she was out of earshot Muth'sera relaxed. "She's a hard one I can see where she got her name." It should be noted that Mar'Voi means "cold hands". A title only the toughest or the most barbaric have earned before.

"A gue'la" I said, ignoring Muth'sera's comment and using the more offensive name for the human auxillary forces. "I didn't sign up to work with Gues. I sighed up to kill them."

Muth'sera frowned at me. "They are not like their imperial brethren Eastwind. They have sworn to aid in advancing the Greater Good and that means they are just as important as we are."

I spat at that comment, I was of the narrower minded group at the time, those who believed in the inferiority of the humans and the auxiliary races. I apologize to any Gue'vessa who read this. This was in the arrogance of my youth.

"They butchered Daly'th when they tried to invade us, and would have wiped us all out had we not stopped them there. They even betrayed their own kind when they left many of their worlds and armies behind with their tails between their legs. We should have just sterilized them all."

Muth'sera frowned. "You are a real bastard. That is what the imperials do, we're above that, and if we show it then perhaps they would see the worthiness of our cause and join us as sisters and brothers." He fixed his pulse rifle and threw the rest of his gear over his shoulder. "The greater good allows us to build a better galaxy than any that has ever been. And all races can be welcomed."

It was my turn to frown in disbelief. "You actually think they are equal to us? I mean really equal? All the propaganda pictures show us holding hands and raising fists together, all that 'it's your empire too' stuff. But do you really believe it's worth taking a chance on them?"

Muth'Sera fronwed, his good humor lost. "Why not, after all they are taking a chance with us."

"Taking a chance on what?"

"On us being better for them than their Imperium"


	4. Chapter 4

Muth'Sera and I entered into a small tent. It was built into the base of a mighty tree. Inside were six other figures. Pathfinders all of them. The elite scouts of the Tau Empire and my brothers and sisters. We exchanged the normally brown fatigues with green digital ones. Our micro weave armor and weapons were hand painted to match the environment. Simultaneously all six heads turned to look at us. All of us had bled together in training and turned from recruits fresh out of training to a skilled team. Crashing Wave pathfinders, best of the best.

Every one of our brothers and sisters were here. Nar'Zod our marksman, usually quiet, carried the squads rail rifle, a massive gun almost as tall as he was. Kor'Tan, his spotter seemed to talk for him and that was fine by both of them. Sunspear, she always had something to complain about but she made up for it by being the stealthiest of us all. Firedawn kept us in check, the most noble of us all. His parents were pathfinders and he had been waiting for this since he was born. He would kill himself here and now if it could advance the greater good. Zal'tam, she was born with Aun'Re's syndrome. Compressed vocal cords. Extremely rare these days given that most Tau are scanned for it at birth. She was born in her home in a rural farm village. So while Nar'Zod was silent out of choice she was unable to do more than grunt and wheeze out a word or two at a time. Instead she spoke through sigh language, she joined the pathfinders because all of us are trained in the sigh language in order to minimize radio traffic. So she fit right in.

Those where my friends, the pathfinders of the seventh Revealing Sword Cadre. Assigned from all over Sac'cea sept. We thought we were invincible. If only we knew better.

Shas'Ui Mar'Voi entered the room and like before all the heads turned to meet her. The grizzled veteran was accompanied by a Gue'vessa. And that was first time I met her. Her skin was dark with even darker hair. Arranged in a long braid much like a Tau would. Her brown eyes observed everyone in the room with a look of distance. Like most Gue'vessa she regarded us Tau with a distant politeness.

Mar'Voi snapped everyone to her attention. "Revealing Sword, our next orders have been given, The greenskins are pushing harder every day, eager to reunite with their kind. Our faithful Gue'vessa ran under fire from one of their patrols. Our orders are to follow the trail and set a transmission for our artillery to obliterate them in a killing blow. For the Greater Good!"

"For the Greater Good!" Every voice shouted in unison.

Mar'Voi nodded and made way for the Gue'Vessa to have the table.

"The orks ambushed us here," She said, pointing at a deep location in the map. "Almost five kilometers deeper than any cadre or drone has gone before. High command sent a recon drone in before us and were sent in to retrieve it. We were ambushed and I alone escaped." Her voice was rich like honey but it was not filled with any joy. It was the voice of someone who could have made music but never had the chance. I found out years later that she did have a fantastic singing voice. But that is for another time.

"How did you manage to survive?" Kor'Tam asked from the back.

She looked up at him with a hint of challenge. "I was incapacitated and now I live to tell of it and slaughter the orks and hopefully, retrieve any survivors".

We spent the next twenty minutes learning of what she knew. She was attached to a gue'vessa fire warrior cadre in Revealing Sword and her name translated to "Fallstar". A Tau name. So she had to have been at least a second generation. That was all the personal information she gave us.

"So we are going into enemy territory against orks without Kroot auxes or battlesuit back up?" Sunspear muttered. "I love the sound of this.

"If you want protection. Perhaps you should quit and became a firewarrior." Mar'Voi growled. "Would anyone like to quit?" He shouted to everyone in the room.

"NO SHAS'UI!" Every pathfinder shouted back.

"Good, refill ammunition and photon grenades and enough rations for three days. And be prepared to hunt some Orks" Mar'Voi ordered.

We were carried out by a stripped down Hammerhead gunship. The life of a pathfinder was not like that of a normal fire warrior. Much was expected of them. But in many ways we were just like everyone else. We joked, they made merry. Cursed and swore like all the other soldiers In Revealing Sword and the army. But on missions we were the Special Forces. We did not have the cloaking technology of the stealth suits but we could vanish in any environment.

My eyes lingered on the human, I saw that she was having trouble adjusting her newly acquired markerlight on the barrel of the long pulse rifle. Something every Tau, pathfinder or otherwise learned in the first few weeks of training. Perhaps she did not have the same military training we had. Either way It was embarrassing.

"No…it goes like this…allow me" Muth'Sera said to Fallstar. Taking the markerlight from her, he slid it neatly down the length of her gun. "It takes some getting used to." He turned the device and showed her the tell-tale green dot on the floor. "Keep that focused on an enemy and our best friends with the big guns will have near perfect accuracy." He handed her rifle back to her with a smile.

"Thank you" she said, turning the light on for herself. Making sure to avoid eye contact with him.

"We have a running joke we have. That for all of our training and expertise. The best part of a pathfinder is the markerlight, Save the markerlight, leave the wounded. That's why every Pathfinder gets one" Muth'Sera laughed at the joke as if he heard it for the first time. Fallstar simply nodded.

"My name is Muth'Sera. It means Laughingstorm, earned it in basic when I laughed so hard at our Instructor I had to run until the sun set. But you should have seen his face, it's hard to explain, it was a horribly funny face." He started chuckling to himself. "Eastwind you remember his face don't you"

I nodded my head but didn't want to encourage him.

Fallstar smiled politely. I could see that she was not interested in acknowledging him. Muth'Sera was my closest friend ever since basic but he had a habit of running his mouth.

The communication beads in everyone's helmet came alive. "AND We are fast approaching the drop point. Don't let the hatch hit you on your way out." The Hammerhead pilots shouted into my ears ears. Nar'Zod struck his fist against the wall twice to tell them to shut up. The pilots cackled to themselves.

"From this point onwards we are in enemy territory, be wary and bring glory to the Empire!" Mar'Voi grumbled as the hatch opened up. The Hammerhead tank levitated off the ground, sending ripples across the water. He jumped out first, the water up to his waist. His pulse carbine scanning the area.

"Come on, I just cleaned my armor of all the crap from the last mission" Sunspear muttered. She always had something to complain about.

_"__Why? Good camouflage" _Zal'Tam signed.

Sunspear flicked her hand in an outward motion to her. The squad's unofficial sign for "shut up". Zal'Tam let out a hoarse laugh from her under her helmet. Before jumping out of the Gunship. 

"Gue'vessa first" Muth'Sera declared letting Fallstar jump next. No doubt grinning inside his helmet. She was Followed by Sunspear, Firedawn, Kor'Tan and Nar'Zod bringing his massive rail rifle into position. The whole team dropped down in a semi-circle.

"Activate the drone" Mar'Voi ordered

Firedawn pulled out a small control device and activated it. On the side of the gunship a large dish shaped drone shot off the side of the gunship and hovered itself upright. Painted in the same shades slimy green as the Pathfinder team. A long and stubby Three-barreled burst cannoned swiveled back and forth.

"Clownfish's diagnostics are running perfectly, friend-or-foe tags are registering." The drone hovered behind the squad like a large silent disk. Firedawn clipped the control device to his gun and the drone operated on it's own control.

"Move out, we are running late" Mar'Voi growled. And just like that, the whole party disappeared into the forest.

***I watched Fallstar. She did not hesitate to get dirty with us. However all it would take is one mistake and the orks would be on us. She was taller than any of us, even Kor'Tan. she was going to stick out. Plus she lacked the intense pathfinder training.

_"__Which way?"_ Mar'Voi signed using his hand signals.

Fallstar pointed west and pumped her fist forward holding out three fingers, three kilometers. It was going to be a bit of a walk.

We made record time but we were always watchful. Relaying communication whenever we could through hand signals and when needed, by breaking radio silence. Every so often Mar'Voi or someone else would order us to halt, sometimes even take cover. Everyone in the group pushed up against trees or dipped low into the water or mud. Silent as the grave. The whole time I watched the human. Critical of her every move. Every time I had to wipe away a boot print or see her even twitch while we remained perfectly still to listen to the jungle it sent an angry thought to my head. It was bad enough we had to operate with an aux soldier but a human one none the less. I conveniently ignored the fact that she was actually pretty good at moving unseen. I was blinded by my arrogance.

Fallstar broke radio silence and it made me furious, "Mar'Voi, the attack site is just up this hill."

_How dare she not address him by his title of Shas'Ui. Do all humans show this lack of respect for their officers?" _I thought to myself. It was petty I know, but again, I was young and immature.

If Mar'Voi was offended he did not show it. "Understood, Nar'Zod and Kor'Tan, move to the west and seek refuge in the foliage, be prepared to lay down fire. Zal'Tam, Sunspear on the right. The rest of you with me.

I watched as Nar'Zod splendidly moved through the dense trees and climbed the hill with the great rail rifle clutched in his arms like a child. The best marksman of the whole group. And Kor'Tan an excellent spotter. Sunspear and Zal'Tam traveled through a marsh not letting the mud slow them down to until they blended into the side of the hill. I could barely see them anymore. They were masters of stealth.

The rest of the soldiers went up the hill. Muth'Sera unraveled the stealth mesh issued to all of us and threw it over his body. "I have become the sea hag" Muth'Sera muttered. It's a legend on my sept of an old Tau woman who put curses on children and ate them. Firedawn couldn't help but snigger and even the human let out sharp exhalation of air that I heard in his comm bead. I probably would have laughed at that as well but I was bothered that she found it funny. It was petty but I didn't care.

"You just volunteered to go first and scout ahead Muth'Sera" Mar'Voi ordered.

Muth'Sera mock saluted. "Aye Shas'Ui, for the Greater Good and infant Ethereals everywhere." He knocked his fist against Fallstar's chest "Watch my backside Gue'vessa" and slipped over the lip of the hill and into a wet valley down below.

I saw my friend slink silently over the hill. One of the best stealth travelers out there. Silent in a jungle.

"Sighs of a firefight alright, pulse round burn marks on the trees in here." Everyone saw him put his hand up against a tree. "No greenies…or gue'vessa bodies for that mat-wait…I see one"

Everyone tensed up. "I see it too" I whispered ten meters ahead they saw a guevessa tied to a tree. Wearing the green fatigues of a firewarrior, his armor and weapons however was gone.

"Is he alive?" Fallstar asked.

"Yes barely, I'm going to free him."

"NO!" Fallstar commanded. Firedawn and I stared at her in shock. Mar'Voi kept on watching the scene play out.

"They might have set up a trap. These orks tend to do that. It's how one of us died in the ambush." She replied, her words heavy as she was brought back.

"She's right" Mar'Voi muttered. "Our Kroot troops use the wounded to set traps, so it's easy to assume the orks do so as well."

"He looks badly injured, his legs are bleeding, I think…by the Ethereals I think they severed his legs with the wire." Muth'Sera said with a gasp.

Firedawn pulled out a pair of magnoculars and zoomed in on the figure. "Yeah…they did. They wires are all that's keeping him alive at this point." He handed the magnoculars to Fallstar and she looked through them.

"Damn it, that's Olivar" she muttered. Her voice a mixture of burning anger and loss.

"What do I do Shas'Ui?" Muth'Sera asked, his voice filled with a nagging panic, that comes from being in plain sight in the center of a gully with plenty of higher ground to be attacked from.

"He would not survive if we were to free him, and not to mention any traps or alarms he might raise if we were to free him. One life is not worth two more. I'm sorry, He must be sacrificed."

Eastwind heard Firedawn curse, Mar'Voi did not chastise him.

"Shas'Ui…I can make the shot, it would be painless" Nar'Zod whispered. His long rail rifle unseen across the edge of the valley.

"No" Fallstar interrupted, "I'll do it, save that round for the Orks, make them pay."

"You have my word" Nar'Zod replied. More than he ever said to most people.

Fallstar took her long pulse rifle and crawled onto the mossy forrest floor. She removed her helmet and sighted down the scope, muttering something indecipherable to Eastwind. Just when he was wondering if she would ever fire her gun let off a single zap and a bolt of pulse energy traveled down the valley and hit him straight in the chest. Burning through the steel wire and triggering a counterweight that revealed a spiked net that instead of catching Muth'Sera only caught the upper half of Olivar's body and carried it up into the trees. Blood dripped down from the net.

The human lowered her head in obvious anguish, I pushed the drone away that was bumping into my leg. Even I felt some kind of pity for her.

"Shas'Ui, I found some tracks, they lead deeper into the jungle. They must have carried the bodies away." Muth'Sera whispered. I could barely see him crouched down in the soft earth.

Mar'Voi, cold and unfeeling as ever chimed his bead. "We will pursue them. Let everyone reflect on the sacrifice of the Gue'vessa. They gave their lives for the Greater Good, we should all strive to emulate their noble courage. We must all die so that others may live"

Fallstar brought herself up and put back on her helmet. Hiding her face from the world. "Not until the Orks die first"


	5. Chapter 5

The trip was spent in silence. No one knew how to speak to Fallstar or comfort her. She walked in silence. I wasn't sure if she said anything because I was in the front with Zal'Tam. Hunting for tracks. The Orks were heavy and they were carrying the bodies. But even still they managed by skill or luck to lose us. It was the way of the tracker.

"Tracks" Zal'Tam whispered hoarsely. A very shallow but identifiable foot print of an ork.

We were interrupted by Mar'Voi breaking radio silence. "All units, form up immediately"

Me and Zal'Tam hobbled back to our Shas'ui. The rest of the squad coming back from where they were spread out over a great distance.

"What is it?" Kor'Tan asked.

Firedawn was fiddling with the drones controls. "It's clownfish, he's spotted a huge group of orks heading this way, almost fifteen minutes out."

_"__Ferals?" _Zal'Tam sighed.

"I don't know, there was too much foliage above the canopy. There was at least thirty, thirty-five of them."

"Damn it, is it our target?" Fallstar demanded.

"I don't know!" Firedawn shouted back, letting his voice grow as loud as he felt comfortable.

"We are so dead, three to one odds. If they get in close rang we are done for, _Kur'ae!_" Sunspear cursed. She was close to breaking down.

Mar'Voi growled. "Everybody be silent, We have to ambush them, Kauyon. Attack of the receding tide. You all know what to do. Stay calm and deliver the wrath of the Greater Good to these Bak'eai, Sunspear, you and Eastwind just volunteered to be the first wave".

It took several moments to shake everyone up. The attack of the receding tide was a battle formation used with Kauyon, the patient hunter. Like the tide who retreated deep into the ocean we would retreat deeper into the forest. The first two would attract the wrath of the orks who would draw them into the fire of the next group and so on and so forth. It was quite dangerous for the bait but if played right would allow for the bait to overwhelm the shark…that is if you did not misjudge the enemy's distance and end up run down by Orks.

"This is ridiculous" Sunspear muttered into her coms, taking position in a thick knot of roots deep enough for her to hide in.

"Shut up and get ready to run" I chimed back. My palms were sweaty, truth be told I was more scared than she was.

"Me and Nar'Zod are in position." Kor'Tam called in.

"Clownfish is ready to lie down a field of fire, just make sure you aren't in it when I give the signal" Firedawn replied.

"Fallstar and Zal'tam on your right flank" Fallstar responded.

"There is a dried out river bed. Between us and the orks. When we give the signal you and Sunspear run for all you're worth and dive in."

"Copy that" I replied. Trying not to think of the utter insanity of the whole ordeal.

I gripped my pulse carbine tight. It felt like a heavy stone in my hands. I was afraid it wasn't going to work, that it would jam up before I fired my first shot. I tried to remain focused and think of my training.

I sat in silence trying to be perfectly still. Birds chirped in the trees above and flies buzzed around one point a long segmented insect scuttled onto my arm and I brushed it off. For fear of it being poisonous.

After some time I noticed something, birds were no longer chirping. It was dead quiet, I could hear my heart beat in my chest.

True enough a huge contingent of orks marched into the wooded area. Completely oblivious to m and Sunspear standing right in front of them. I counted, 37 orks. Almost four to one. This was going to be a touch crowd.

The orks were built much like their mechanized kin. Except instead of guns and armor they wore fur skins and carried spears, clubs and dull broad blades that might as well be considered axes.

I saw Sunspears markerlight shine like bright beam of green energy, enhanced by my helmets target filter, land on the chest of a big ork who was picking it's nose with its pinky finger. I sighted down and found a second one next to him. Waiting for her to make the first move.

Rapid fire pulses were sent out that travelled up the orks body. He dropped to the ground. At that point I toggled the carbines underslung grenade launcher and sent out a photon grenade. All the orks attention in front of them they all were blinded by the bright flash of light. Sunspear fired the gun on full auto into the orks.

"Wait for it!" I shouted, breaking radio silence.

The orks closes to the grenade were screaming and shouting holding their hands up to their eyes. The ones on the fringe of the blast spun around towards the shots. They screaming out a loud and threatening war cry and swung weapons that could cut us in half.

I stood up, making myself clearly known. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. I let out a loud cry, partially to attract them but mostly to let out my anxiety. I released a salvo of round that scattered among the orks. Only taking one down and grazing another.

"WAGGGGGGGGGGGGHH" the next one shouted, not even bothered by the fact that he was sprayed with the blood of his comrades. He took off running in a looping gait. His companions joining in, even the blind ones stumbled along.

"MOVE NOW!" I shouted into the comm bead and I was joined by Sunspear, she had taken the time to drape herself in the camouflage netting. She looked like a bed of moss that turned up right and started running for all she was worth.

I can only think of four other times I ran so fast in my entire life. The first was at the training academy on Sa'cea. My first ever long distance run. This was the second. The other two are for another time.

"By the Greater Good You better be in position!" Sunspear cried out. The dip into the river bed evident.

"Wait for my signal" Mar'Voi said into the mic to everyone. On my helmet's display I saw a swarm of beams dancing over and around me. It was a sheer testament to the skill of the pathfinders that I could barely see their operators even with a clearly visible light source, at least to me.

The orks however, did not have the advanced gear to see them.

I could hear the thundering of the orks behind me, for all I knew they were right behind me, ready to grab onto me and drag me down. I ran even faster, my lungs burnt with the stale jungle air.

As we approached the lip of the river bed I dived into it and came crashing down into the river bed, Mar'Voi had lied. It was not dried up, at least not completely. We landed in the mud. My world went brown as my helmet's lens was smeared in mud.

Overhead I heard the full wrath of the greater good unleashed on the hordes of Orks. Pulse rounds and photon grenades went off in a near constant blur. Orks screamed and died. Every few seconds the loud crack of Nar'Zod's rail rifle sounded off.

"Kur'ae!" I growled to myself, furious that I was missing the action and fighting blind. I tore off my helmet and looked up. A dangerous light show was playing overhead. The once hot air seemed cool in comparison to being under the helmet.

At this point I couldn't do much. The battle was in full effect. Almost for effect I saw a spear almost as tall as I was come flying into the mud and stick straight up into the ground.

The pulse carbine fire was drowned out by a dull whir that soon turned into a whining chorus of burst cannon fire from clownfish, the drone was no doubt gunning the orks without remorse or mercy. Although the Pathfinders were no different.

I huddled with Sunspear. No way to leave to join the fight without moving in between the weapons fire and the orc's.

Sunspear gazed over at me and got my attention. "Hey…HEY! Is this where you thought you'd be when you took the oath?"

I laughed because there was nothing else to do. "Yes exactly, but I would have joined another unit if I would have known I'd be stuck with you"

That of course brought a wicked cackle from her but all in all it wasn't a really funny joke.

Now I did not stay out of combat completely. Several orks managed to break through the line of fire and jumped into the muddy river with us. This prompted a shout and string of curses from both of us.

I pulled up my Pulse Carbine and unloaded half my clip into a orc with some kind of sharpened spike in it's nose, Sunspear removed a second one from this plain of existence and I reloaded just in time for more three more to join the fray.

"I'm empty!" Sunspear shouted at me, the empty clicking noise of her trigger finger proved that.

With three orks right on us and only one pulse carbine between us at the moment I did the one thing we were taught as Pathfinders to do in this situation.

"Close your eyes" I shouted to her, following my own command and not waiting to make sure she did as well. I fired my photon grenade launcher into the ground right in front of us.

Even with my eyes closed I saw a great flash of white. I jumped out of the way and landed in the mud with a disgusting sucking sound.

Even though my eyes were closed I still saw a steam of purple spots dancing in my vision. It was only by the mercy of the Greater Good that it was training into us to jump out of the way because even in their blindness the orks charged us, stabbing their spears and swinging their swords into the mud wall where I was only a second ago.

I unloaded my gun into the back of the ork and saw one fall I shot into the second one and downed him as well. And then it was my turn for my gun to run dry.

"I need help!" I shouted at everyone and no one in particular. My clip satchel was buried under my weight into the thick mud and I was frozen with fear at the large ork coming at me with a wicked knife almost as thick as my waist.

I held out my pulse carbine in the hopes of stemming the blow.

Behind the ork I saw Sunspear rush the ork, She grabbed him by a mangy tunic made out of some kind of furry animal in this jungle. She pushed her carbine into the small of his back and pulled the trigger. The ork howled in pain and flung his arms around wildly. The rounds burned a hole through his so fast that I saw several of the rounds go through his body and disappear in to the sky. The fell face first into the mud, it's body a black smoking ruin.

Sunspear was standing over me, looking like an avatar of the Greater Good, a smoking pulse carbine and her dark camouflage netting draped over her shoulders like a tattered cape.

"You almost made me go blind with that grenade you stupid Ba'keai" she grunted, holding out her hand.

"I did save your life though so you're welcome." I grabbed hold and she pulled me up out of the mud.

"I saved yours, so we're even." I could tell she was just as terrified, but that was why I always liked her. Because she was the only one just as terrified as I was. I hid it through anger, she hid it through sarcasm.

After a particularly long blast from Clownfish the jungle went silent. The familiar scent of charred flesh from pulse rounds filled the air.

"All units clear?" Mar'Voi asked.

Every member of the group replied with "clear".

"Let's go" I said and then proceeded to climb out of the charnel house that was the river bed.

Once I got over the lip I saw the absolute slaughter that Revealing Sword Cadre unleashed. The ground was almost turned into a blacked crisp. Crumpled bodies were turned over and torn apart in a field. Small craters pocked marked the ground where Nar'Zod's rail rifle passed through one or even two orks and exploded in the ground. The stench was overwhelming and already flies gathered over the bodies in hordes.

From out of the forest emerged the rest of the pathfinders. Reloading weapons and draped in camo nets.

"You cut it really close" Fallstar growled at me. "They were practically on top of us"

Any leftover adrenaline I had was now being burned in anger. "Maybe you can run next time Gue'la! Or you can learn to shoot better"

"Hey, I killed more orks today than you did you hoof footed bastard"

"You also killed more humans today than me"

I shouldn't have been so surprised when she hit me, I deserved it. When the story was retold again it was evident just how dangerous it was for both of our groups. But that the time all I cared about was finding a target for my anger to hide from just how scared I was. The finest warriors in the Empire, scared. But that is the truth.

Before she could hit me again or I could strike back Mar'Voi grabbed us both and shouted us down. "Enough, both of you! Before you bring shame to the Empire, this does not advance the Greater Good but if you really hate each other so much, you can fight each other when the mission is done. Until then you follow my orders! These orks came from where we are going, we have a chance to retrace their steps and find their tribe."

Once we both calmed down we were released.

Zal'Tam bumped me shoulder and handed me my helmet.

_"__Here, might need this"_ she signed.

Mar'Voi made her way through the bodies, stepping on dead fingers and crushing them underneath her feet." I won't be satisfied until this entire tribe burns".


End file.
